2026.01.30 The Muse

Christine Steyer, 2020 Honored Artist of The American Prize , has distinguished herself as a soprano, music advocate, librettist, and producer. Renowned for portrayals of operatic heroines, she sang in 40 productions with Lyric Opera of Chicago and is a committed recitalist championing works by contemporary women poets and composers. In 2021 she premiered the role of a healthcare worker in the award-winning opera On Call: COVID-19; in 2022 she premiered Flanna in Future Perfect , serving as librettist for both. More recently she has been featured in Elijah , Speed Dating Tonight , and Le dernier sorcier . Her 2026 season includes music by Jake Heggie and the role of the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro . Beyond performance, Steyer has brought music to more than 26,000 young people, co-founded the vocal alliance Working in Concert , and serves as Artistic Director of its Bellissima Opera initiative.

Grateful for support from the IAC, Steyer says, "The IAC Accelerator grant is invaluable in supporting the range of projects I'm currently working on." Those projects include a new opera libretto, And I Did Not Speak Out , exploring silence in the face of fascism; music videos of original songs co-created with French composer-pianist Jean-Claude Orfali; recordings of songs by Chicago-based composers including Florence Price and Ernst Bacon; and development of a new Bellissima Music in the Schools curriculum featuring songs by Hispanic and American composers. "IAC funding supports both out-of-pocket expenses and the countless hours musicians devote to projects from inception to fruition. This grant acknowledges the value artists bring to enrich and inspire their communities."